Search this site

You are here

Dr. Jae Osenbach

The views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the National Center for Telehealth & Technology, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.

As many of you may know, September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Coincidentally, about two weeks ago I came across a recently published article that reviewed iOS and Android mobile apps developed specifically for the prevention of suicide. The authors of this review make some very important points that I think should be shared regarding future development of mobile apps for this very timely topic.

The other day I was sitting in my physician’s waiting room, when I noticed a young lady taking pictures of herself (“selfies"). My doctor’s waiting room is for the entire clinic, including the behavioral health services. Since the topic of stigma is so often broached in the psychological field, I got to thinking about how I would feel if I were a patient here to see a therapist, instead of my general doctor. What if I didn’t want anyone to know that I was here? What if I accidentally ended up in the selfies she posts on Facebook or Twitter? What if someone recognized me?

It’s been awhile since we’ve highlighted recent mobile health research, and 2013 looks like it’s turning out to be the year to research health-related mobile apps! In the last six months there has been a blossoming of peer-reviewed articles published on the benefits of mobile apps for improving health. These studies examined apps for tracking weight loss, diabetes, mood problems, sleep problems, asthma, and medication management.

There’s a new trend going on in the mobile health world that’s definitely worth looking into – health trackers. No, I’m not talking about the grizzly-haired grandpas looking for furry creatures to make coats. I’m talking about recent increase in small portable devices that can be used to track your sleep patterns, physical activity and other data, such as the FitBit® Flex™, Nike+® FuelBand™, or JawBone® Up™ . I’m personally interested in tracking my sleep pattern, and there are several smartphone and tablet apps available that can do just that.

This site is the official website of Defense Health Agency (DHA) Connected Health. The appearance of hyperlinks, information, products or services contained on this site does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense. For other than authorized activities such as military exchanges and Morale, Welfare and Recreation sites, the Department of Defense does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this DoD website. Please read our privacy and security notice.